Box-filling machine.



B. G. VAUGHAN.

BOX FILLING MACHINE.

- APPLICATION FILED 1330.9, 1910.

1,010,828. Patentd Dec. 5, 1911.

UiTED strains OFFICE.

3mm 'e. VAUGHAN, or comm; ILL'I1VOIS,ASSIGNOB To iur'io mr. Marcia:

' columnar, or Jomnr, rumors, A conroaarion or ILLINOIS.

Box-FILLING macnmn.

To all whom it may con -cm:

Be it known that I, BERNARD G. VAUcnAg, a citizen of the United States, residing at 'Joliet, Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Box-Filling Machines, of' which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This, invention relates to machines for filling :boxes with matches, tooth-picks or- 'articles of a similar. shape, andparticularly to machines which areadapted to be arranged adjacent a match-making machine so as to automatically box the matches as they are discharged from the carrier'of the match-making machine.

One object'ofmy invention is to provide a match-box-filling machine ofsimple construction which is-so designed that there'is no liability of the boxes becoming jammed or bent out of shape while they are being fed through the machine. Another object is to providea match boxline or strin filling machine which is so designed that a of boxes will'be fed continu- -ou'sly past t e endof a trough or similar device from which a continuous stream of matches flows. And still another object is to provide a box-filling machine that comprises a continuous feeding mechanism which causes a lineor string of boxes to Ttional view of a box-filling machine constructed in accordance with my invention;

- Fig. 1 is a similar view of a portionof the machine showing the box-arresting device in operative position; Fig. 2 1s a top plan view of the machine; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken on aproximately the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and ig. 4 is a vertical cross sectional view taken won approximately the line 44 of Fig. 1.

I in

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred form of my invention, A designates the match-carrier of a match-makmachine which is composed of a plura ity of perforated plates that travel in a vertical plane, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the

matches m being discharged from said car a Specification of Iletters Patent. Application filed December 9,1910. Serial 1To..li96,4$0.

rier onto a horizonjta lly disposed plate 1 by some suitable means not shown. The matches are fed longitudinally over the plate or supporting member 1 and assorted or arranged in parallel relation to 'each other by means of a combinedifeeding and assorting device which, in the embodiment of my invention herein shown, consists of a Patented Dec. 5, 1911.-

pair of sprocket chains 2 and cross links or plates 3 "connected to said chains in such a manner that they form practically a pluempty match-boxes past the lefthand end of the plate 1 so as to receive the matches that are discharged from said plate. The box-feedin means herein shown consists of asproc et chain 6 mounted on a' drive sprocket -7 and idlers 8 and provided with tongues or. projections 9 that are spaced apart a distance approximately; equal to the length of a match-box B, said sprocket chain being arranged to travel in a guideway 10 formed in the bottom of a box-guidewayll that extends longitudinally under the plate 1 onto which the matches are discharged from the match-making machine. In the embodiment of my invention herein shown,-

the side walls of the box guideway 11 are extended upwardly so as to formj'a support for the plate 1 and cooperate'with' said plate to form a trough through which the combined feeding and assorting device travels, g

the sprocket chains 2 of said device being arranged in guideways formed in the inner gaces of said side walls, as' shown clearly in Various means may be employed for feeding the empty boxes onto the continuous feeding mechanism or sprocket chain 6, snch,

for example, as a pair of endless belts 12,

arranged in longitudinal alinement with the box-guidway 11 and at the righthand end of same, drive pulleys l3 and idlers 14,

around which said belts 12 pass, and a device for momentarily arresting the movement of the empty boxes on said belts when they approach the box-guideway and then permitting said empty boxes to passonc by one onto the continuous feeding mechanism 6. One form of device that I have found very efiicient for momentarily arresting the movement of the empty boxes as they approach the righthand end of the box-guideway 11, consists of a lever 15 fulcrumed on a stationary support 16 and provided at one end with a downwardly projecting arm 17 that moves downwardly into the pathof the empty boxes on the belts 12 when the opposite end-of said lever 15 is raised by the cam 18 secured to the shaft 19 which carries the drive pulleys 13, said lever being held in engagement with said cam by means of a coiled contractile spring 20.

The operator places the empty boxes B on the belts 12 which preferably travel at a higher speed than the sprocket chain 6, said belts operating to move the empty boxes toward the righthand end of the box-guideway 11. The cam 18 is so formed that the arm 17 on the lever 15 will descend or move downwardly .into the position shown in Fig. 1 and thus temporarily arrest the forward movement of the empty box just before the box reaches the entrance end of the box-guideway, said arm thereafter moving upwardly into the position shown in Fig. 1 so as to release the box and permit it to move onto the chain 6. The second empty box that passes under the arm 17 will likewise be temporarily arrested so as to provide sufficient time for the lug or projection 9 on the sprocket chain 6 to engage the rear end of the box. By intermittently feeding the empty boxes to the chain 6 in this manner I overcome the possibility of the boxes becoming jammed or wedged so tightly together that it is impossible for the projections 9 on the chain to pass between the adjacent ends of the boxes. The belts 12, as previously stated, travel at a higher rate of speed than the sprocket chain 6 so that the boxes shoot onto the sprocket chain 6 as soon as they are released by the lever 15, and as said lever is operated automatically no special skill or attention is required on the part of the operator to govern the feeding of the boxes to the feeding mechanism, the operator merely placing the empty boxes one by one onto the belts 12 which travel longitudinally over the bottom of the receivin guideway 21 that is arranged in longitudinal alinement with the guideway 11 through which the sprocket chain 6 travels.

A box-filling machine of the construction above described comprises only a few parts of simple construction so that it is not apt to get out of order easily, it is so constructed that there is no liability of the boxesbecoming jammed or bent out of shape while they are being fed to the point where the matches are introduced into thesame, and it insures a sufficient number of empty boxes being fed past the delivery point to box the entire output of the match-making machine with which it is used. v

The shaft 19 to which the pulleys 13 and cam 18 are connected can be driven in various ways, and, if desired, means may be employed for varying the speed of said shaft. The means herein shown for driving the shaft 19 consists of a driven shaft 22 provided with a friction wheel 23 that bears against the side face of one of the pulleys 13, or against a diskon the shaft 19. The friction wheel 23 can be adjusted longitudinally of the shaft 22 by means of the device 24, so as to move said wheel 23 toward or away from the periphery of the pulley 13 or disk with which it cooperates, thereby enabling the speed of the bolts 12 and the arresting device 15 to be varied so as to accommodate boxes of different lengths.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a box-filling machine, a continuously operating endless conveyer provided with spaced box-engaging devices, a highspeedconveyer arranged in longitudinal alinement with the conveyer first referred to for receiving empty boxes and moving them toward said first conveyer, and a pivotally mounted device for temporarily arresting the movement of the boxes on said high-speed conveyer so as to permit boxes to pass one by one onto the conveyer first referred to.

2. In a box-filling machine, a horizontally disposed trough-shaped support for receiving the articles to be boxed, means for feeding the articles longitudinally through said support and arranging them in an orderly manner, and a continuously operating means for causing a line or row of empty boxes to pass the end of said support from which the articles are discharged.

3. In a match-box-filling machine, a comparatively long trough-shaped support for receiving the matches from a match-making machine, means for feeding the matches over said support and discharging-them from one end of same, a continuously operating means for causing a row or line of boxes to travel under said support and past the end thereof from which the matches are discharged, an

endless conveyer on which the boxes are placed manually and which moves the boxes toward said feeding means, and means for permitting boxes to pass intermittently from said endless conveyer onto said continuously operating feeding means.

4. In a match-box-filling machine, a support which receives the matches from a match-making machine, a combinedjeeding and assorting means that arranges the matches on said. support in an orderly manner and discharges them from said support,

'a' continuously operating endless conveyer traveling past-the discharge end of said support and provided with spaced box-engaging devices, and automatic means for intermittently feeding empty boxes onto said conveyer.

5. In a box-filling machine, a boxguideway, a continuously operating endless conveyer' provided with spaced box-engaging devices that travel through said guideway, a continuously operating. feeding means arranged at one end ofsaid guideway for introducing empty boxes into same, and an intermittently operating pivotally mounted device that cooperates with sa d feeding meansto cause t e empty boxes to pass one by one into said guideway and thus be arranged between the box-engaging devices on said conveyor. I Y a I 6. In a box-filling device, a box-guideway, acontinuously operating endless conveyer provided with spaced box-engaging devices a that travelthrough' said guideway, a receiving trough; arranged at one end of said guideway and in longitudinal alinement with same, an endless belttraveling longitudinally through said trough for feeding empty boxes toward said conveyor, a device .for temporarily arresting the movement of the boxes through. said trough, .and means for operating said device intermittently so as to permit the boxes to pass one by one onto said conveyer.

7. In a match-box-filling machine, a comparatively long support arranged to receive the matches that are dischar ed from a match-making machine, a combined feedingand asserting means thatv arran es the matches onsaid support in an order y manner and discharges them from one end of the support, a box-guideway arranged under the support, a continuously operatingconveyer provided with spaced box-engaging devices throu h said box-guideway, a remaiving troug guideway and in longitudinal alinement with same, a belt that travels through said receiving trough at a higher speed than said conveyer, a box-arresting device arranged that travel longitudinaily arranged at one' end of said box-" adjacent said receiving trough, and means for operating said device intermittently so as to cause it to temporarily arrest the movement of the boxes through said receiving trough.v v

.8. In a box-filling machine, a box-guideway, a continuously operating endless conveyer provided with spaced box-engaging devices which travel longitudinally through this 29 day of November 1910. I BERNARD G. VAUGHAN. Witnesses} L I LoUIs A. Smnnwoon, :HENRY Luann.

signature in the presence of two witnesses, v 

